The World Forges Ahead on Clean Energy,Despite US Retreat
While the United States reassesses its commitment to decarbonization and clean energy,the global momentum towards a sustainable future is accelerating. Experts suggest this shift in American policy creates an opening for competitors, particularly China, to take a leading role in the burgeoning clean energy sector.
The upcoming COP30 summit will highlight this changing landscape, even with Chinese President Xi Jinping’s absence. Reports indicate a strong Chinese presence and a demonstration of the notable advancements made by China’s clean technology industry in regions like Latin America. Brazil’s decision to utilize Chinese-made electric vehicles for summit transportation serves as a tangible example of this global trend.
Globally, historic progress is being made. Renewable energy sources have now surpassed coal as the world’s largest source of electricity generation.China alone has added an impressive 300 gigawatts (GW) of solar and wind capacity this year – nearly five times the total renewable capacity of the United Kingdom.
This transition isn’t limited to established economic powers. A growing number of developing nations across South America, Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Middle east are rapidly adopting clean energy technologies. This surge is driven by the increasingly favorable economics of renewable energy, particularly the low cost and widespread availability of solar technologies.
The influx of affordable solar panels and wind turbine components, largely originating from china, is enabling countries like Brazil, Chile, El Salvador, Morocco, Kenya, and Namibia to outpace the United States in their transition to clean energy. Yale Environment 360 estimates that approximately 63% of emerging energy markets in Africa, Asia, and Latin America now rely on solar energy to a greater extent than the US.
Some nations are experiencing remarkably swift energy transitions, integrating ample solar power capacity within just a few years. Pakistan, for example, has emerged as a “major new adopter of solar energy” in a remarkably short timeframe.
“We have never before seen solar deployment on this scale and in such a short period of time anywhere around the world,” notes Jan Rosennoh, head of the energy program at the Environmental Change Institute at Oxford University.
This dramatic expansion is directly linked to the significant cost reductions in wind and solar technologies, a decline largely fueled by large-scale industrialization in China. Lars Netter Havero, head of energy macroeconomic research at Rystad Energy, explains that the world is now benefiting from this expansion, allowing emerging economies to “seize the prospect and leap into the new energy era.”
China’s dominance in clean energy manufacturing, coupled with its competitive pricing, has solidified its control over global clean energy supply chains and increased its influence in developing economies. Crucially, China’s capacity is proving essential for many countries striving to meet their decarbonization goals, particularly as previously pledged climate finance from other sources has often fallen short.
